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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bore — to tire
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. chest — of your body
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bark — to shout
  11. march — the month
  12. march — music
  13. chest — a box
  14. march — the month
  15. chest — of your body
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. ball — a great time
  19. craft — boats
  20. bore — to drill
  21. snap — to click
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bark — a dog's sound

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com